Instant Pot Greek Gyros

Okay, so the other night I was just hanging out at the Instant Pot Community Facebook page (can you say cooking nerd? and proud of it!) when my friend Tonya messaged me. We got to talking about what we wanted to make in the IP (we’re both exited about our IP’s) and she suggested Gyros.

Instant Pot Gyros – beyond delicious!

*Swoon!* I love Gryos. How about you? And I thought if I could make them at home…wow, that might be a little dangerous. And more than a little awesome! I mean c’mon. Gyros!

It just so happened that the store had a roast on sale $2.99 a pound, so I just dropped everything and ran out and picked one up. It wasn’t until I got home I realized I had my slippers on. Really. *duh* Can we say Senior moment?

So I started researching and whipped a recipe up. It turns out most of the Gyros recipes out there were just about the same. Well, they were good but flawed. They lacked that exotic flavor that makes you wonder exactly “Just what is IN this?” They were also cooked in the bottom of the pot with onions where the Gyros stewed and steeped for a long time. Those Gyros weren’t bad, but they weren’t good enough.

Instant Pot Gyros – beyond delicious!

So I got to work and set up a second batch. This batch I marinated overnight in a secret blend…no, scratch that…it’s not secret coz I’m giving it to you…blend of garlic and spices and herbs and lemon and red wine vinegar. Much as I hate to add a long marinade to an Instant Pot recipe, it really IS the way to go. And I figured how to get that dryer Gyro-like texture while keeping them tender and cooking them only minutes.

I also steamed that Pita Bread right in the Instant pot so you’ll have that freshly made restaurant style experience! Slather with Tzatziki, sprinkle with tomato and red onion (soak that sliced onion in a bowl of cold water while your meat cooks – it takes away the harsh taste) add a little iceberg, then wrap it up in foil. I felt like a genius. And you will, too, when you make these!

I was able to “cheat” when I made these because I have a kitchen slicer. Yep. I don’t use it often and it’s cheap and a little rickety, but when I need it, it’s there. Think about getting one, they’re about 35 bucks and worth their weight in gold. If you don’t have a slicer, then cut the roast horizontally (with the grain) into several sections so it’s about 1 1/2″ wide and freeze for 20 minutes. It will be easier to slice thinly across the grain.

Gyros

1 1/2 lbs beef roast, top sirloin, round or other inexpensive roast, sliced thinly (about a quarter-inch) across the grain and an inch and a half wide.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 cloves finely minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

pinch of ground allspice

pinch of ground nutmeg

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

a good squeeze of lemon, about 1 tablespoon

1/4 cup water

Soft pita bread

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Red Onion

Tzatziki (see recipe, below)

Place sliced meat in Ziploc and put the Ziploc in a bowl. In a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, marjoram, pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Mix together into a paste. Add the red wine vinegar, the lemon juice and water and mix together.

Pour the marinade mixture over the beef and massage well, making sure that the meat is all coated. Pull up the Ziploc, expel as much air as possible and seal. Refrigerate overnight, turning several times if possible.

When ready to cook, add one cup of water to the instant pot, then add trivet. Drain the meat and place on top of trivet in a pile. Try to keep as much of the meat as possible on the trivet (try laying a few larger slices across on the bottom) but don’t stress if some falls through.

Set Instant Pot to high pressure, 7 minutes. When finished, allow to go to the keep warm setting for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure manually. Remove meat and set aside, lightly covered.

To steam Pita:

Use something to put the trivet back in the Instant Pot about three to four inches from the bottom; several balls of foil work well. Add the trivet on top. Wrap several pitas in a large, thin kitchen towel, wrapping around several times and making sure all is covered. Carefully place on trivet, making sure that none of the towel touches the liquid.

Set Pressure to high, one minute. When the pot begins to make noises and some steam is starting to come up around the back of the lid, push the cancel button and remove the pita. The Instant Pot does not have to come up to full pressure. Remove towel and wrap in a dry towel to keep warm. Warning: some of the pita may be a little on the wet side so it’s a good idea to steam one or two extra.

To assemble, lay out a square of foil, put a pita on top. Spread a little Tzatziki down the center of a pita, add several slices of meat, top with more Tzatziki, slices of onion, tomato & lettuce. Wrap up with the foil and serve.

28 thoughts on “Instant Pot Greek Gyros”

Oh I must have missed this, sounds amazing! I LOVE gyros! I’m saving this for sure, thanks Mollie. Btw, lol about the slippers. Did you really?! I did that once, actually recently, when taking Skye out for a bathroom break. Two steps out and I realized it, so took Skye back in, slipped into my shoes, and out again. You should have seen the confused look she gave me 😂

Hi Sheila, I liked both and when I first tested the recipe, I didn’t use the trivet and thought it was ok, but wet and not as flavorful as I’d like from sitting in the bottom of the pot. What I was really going for was the drier meat like they cut off off the big cones at the restaurants. I do appreciate the feedback, Sheila. 🙂 It’s nice to know someone actually tried the recipe!

I love gyros too. Can the meat be cooked in a regular pressure cooker? I am still waiting to get an instant pot. I have three slow cookers and a pressure cooker so I don’t know if I want to add another kitchen appliance right now.

Hi Karina, they absolutely could but I can’t say exactly what the timing would be because I know there could be a bit different. I’d go a minute or two less on the stove top, I think and see how it goes. 🙂

We do have one place near me that makes fantastic gyros – and they’re so huge – and I do love these I have to admit, I like being handed one ready to inhale a little bit more, lol! These were a good substitute for the real thing, tho. 🙂

Colleen, I am really having fun with the IP – it may not be the be all and end all like some people think, but I’m so glad I got it. And I do have other pressure cookers, a stove top and a canner, but the IP is just so easy and fool proof! Check on Amazon’s thanksgiving sale, then just shove everything else off your counter, lol!